>> hello and welcome to the "journal" here on dw. >> here's what's coming up in the next half-hour -- political deadlock in italy. what's next after an election that produces no clear winner? >> a trip down memory lane for the new u.s. secretary of state on a visit to germany. >> and a step closer to bundesliga. berlin get an important win.

and that italy faces political deadlock after the country's national elections produced no clear winner. no single party was able to secure a majority in both houses of parliament. >> the center-left candidate is claiming a narrow victory, but it is not enough for him to build a government. >> former prime minister silvio berlusconi came in a close second. coalition talks are under way, but many italians are unsure they will produce a stable government. >> italian voters have elected new representatives, but where does that leave the country? newspaper headlines are skating. one reads -- the only winner is ungovernability. there's already talk of free elections. >> i do not know what to say. i think we voters are being taken for a ride. >> i have no idea what will

happen now. they will reach some kind of decision. everything is in the hands of four or five people again. they just do what they want. >> italy's political landscape is in turmoil. the central left coalition won the lower house by a blister, but the senate is split, putting the ~ well on course for political gridlock. in his first comments since the vote, the kennedy emphasized the dramatic situation italy is facing. he said he would push ahead with a reform agenda and put it to parliament. he warned opponents that the electorate would not accept a political farce. after a strong showing, former center-right prime minister silvio berlusconi suggested he was open to talks, but the potential kingmaker, the party of comedian beppe grillo, has ruled out coalition with either

party. >> italy plays a central role in successfully dealing with the european debt crisis. we trust that any new government will continue to carry out the policies of consolidation and reform. >> first, it italy's politicians have to maneuver themselves out of the apparent dead-end the vote has created. >> for more on this now, we are joined by the "guardian correspondent in rome. what options are still open to find a way out of this political deadlock? >> there are to be will possibilities. when was being proposed by silvio berlusconi earlier today, which was a grand coalition between center-right and center- left, perhaps excluding radicals on both sides. the leader of the center-left,

pier luigi bersana, seemed to be ruling that out and seemed to be extending a hand towards grillo's 5-our movement, saying they could perhaps agree on a five-point plan for sweeping reform of politics, the institutions, and coupled with that, a commitment to a new employment policy for the european union and protections for those left most of former rebel by the recession. >> what about new elections? will they change anything? >> the difficulty with that is the parliament, which has been elected now, hastert -- has to stay in existence long enough to elect a new president. the problem here is that the mandate runs out in the middle

of may, and the process for finding a new head of state has to begin quite a long time before that. there really is no way that they can immediately go back to the country. >> thank you so much for that. well, with no clear way forward, we wanted to find out what you officials have been saying. they had been hoping for a stable italy, which would continue on the path to economic reform. our brussels correspondent summed up some of the reaction. >> the commission faced more than half an hour of intense questioning from journalists today. obviously, this is a matter for italian authorities, as the commission keeps saying, but it could not resist saying we need jobs and growth, we need the austerity package. the 15 months mario monti was in charge was enough to instigate a package that was not delivered. the commission also saying quite

clearly they have full confidence in the italian authorities to deliver a workable government. italy remains, of course, a major founding member state, and we have every hope that they will conquer, but behind the rhetoric, clear dismay. this vote was a thumbs down for the austerity, and there is genuine concern in brussels about the implications for markets, for the knock on effect, for other countries facing economic instability. >> the in decision in italy sent european stocks lower. our correspondence sent us this report from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> a lot of tension with traders in the frankfurt exchange. nobody really finding it very humorous what is happening in italy, and it shows dramatically what happens when a country gets in trouble, and it shows how quickly that can happen and how seriously the problems can run.

nobody here really knows what to expect in the next couple of weeks with that stalemate in italy. it shows that the euro sovereign debt crisis is not over, and the effects are quite dramatic as well. there are serious share price losses across the board, especially in the financial sector, not just for italian financials but also for the german ones. people are now hoping that it does not affect the euro too much in the next couple of weeks. what is being sought after is a safe haven. people are finding it in german government bonds. >> we stay in europe where it is sharply lower on the day for the dax. about 2.25% lower, all down to that uncertainty in italy. over in new york, a different picture. stocks recovering a bit after a big sell-off yesterday. investors are pretty optimistic about news of the fed stimulus program. euro-dollar is trending lower.

>> world powers have begun a new round of talks with iran over its nuclear program. the discussions in kazakhstan got under way with both sides making offers to end a decade of deadlock over the issue. the five permanent u.s. security council members are offering to ease sanctions if iran curbs its uranium enrichment program. >> in the meantime, u.s. secretary of state john kerry says he believes a diplomatic solution can be reached with iran. his comments came during a press conference in berlin. he is on a two-week diplomatic tour that began in europe. >> the agenda for his talks today also included plans for a free-trade agreement between the eu and the u.s. kerry also took time out of his schedule to meet with young people in the german capital. >> security lock down as john kerry returned to the city he once called home. the first stop on the visit was for a chat with young berliners.

discussions of a different kind with the chancellor. high on their agenda -- foreign policy and the economy, but first these comments on the relationship with the u.s. >> i record a great deal of importance to transatlantic ties. we do not just have common values. we also face common tasks. >> a number of these challenges were discussed at an earlier meeting with kerry's german counterpart. first and foremost, the plans for a new free trade deal between the u.s. and europe. >> germany is our largest trade partner in europe, and we want to see even more trade and investment that will create jobs -- jobs for -- jobs for germans, for americans, for all europeans. >> negotiations are set to begin within months, and i of the two sides managed to overcome their differences, could be completed within two years. >> for more on this visit now, we can bring in our political

correspondent, who is standing by at our parliamentary studios. afghanistan, syria, a possible u.s./e you free trade deal -- lots on the agenda. what would you say is the biggest deal right now in the u.s.-german relations? >> it would see that economic issues topped the agenda in john kerry's talks with german leaders. in both press conferences with the german foreign minister and chancellor angela merkel, we heard a lot of talk about that possible free-trade agreement between the eu and the u.s. we heard john kerry in your report just they're talking about jobs, jobs, jobs. there appears to be a great deal of economic pressure on both sides of the atlantic driving some motivation toward a possible free trade deal, but again, there were other foreign policy issues, including afghanistan and, particularly, syria on the agenda. >> what about this free trade deal?

>> there is talk right now of actually getting negotiations going formally sometime this coming summer. within two years, that is the time frame they are talking about, officials right now, of having some sort of deal in place, but there are huge hurdles on the way. there's been talk of a free- trade agreement for a long time. many people thought it would be dead. it appears to be revived with great economic pressure to get it going. >> thank you very much for that. >> last year, the white house announced a big strategic shift, what it calls it pivot to asia, as a response to the rise of china. >> the implications in europe for just as profound. many feared it was just as much a pivot away from old allies. >> john kerry is saying europe is more important than ever. here's more on the state a transatlantic ties. >> it is a love affair that

spans the atlantic -- americans cannot get enough of german cars. sales are surging, exports are rising, and german car makers now operate their own plants in the u.s. like this one in tennessee. then there are political relations. chancellor merkel and president obama are said to be cordial with one another but not close. what there is, though, is in recognition of the need to work together. >> on both sides of the atlanta, there is a realization that we are not as strong as we thought we were. but the u.s. and europe have been weakened by the financial crisis, and that has led to the conclusion that we need to do more to grow stronger together. >> president obama has sought to allay fears among europeans that he couldn't let them in favor of asia. in his recent state of the union address, he promised to forge closer trade links. >> tonight, i'm announcing we will launch talks on a

comprehensive trans-atlantic trade and investment partnership with the european union because trade that is fair and free across the atlantic supports millions of good-paying american jobs. >> the american president envisions a free-trade zone with common standards and conditions for businesses. that would, for instance, allow european firms to compete on equal footing with their american rivals for construction projects in the u.s. it would also mean that french cheeses that are banned in the u.s. over health concerns would have to be cleared for sale. >> obviously, there's opposition. there are powerful interest groups in the farming and pharmaceuticals industries who have supporters in parliament on both sides of the atlantic. but there's also a great deal of interest in this idea. the pressure and potential rewards have never been greater because there are powerful

competitors in other parts of the world. >> competitors in places like asia. president obama has spoken his belief that the region will shave his belief. he has made the region a top priority in terms of security. where does that leave europe? washington's contribution was humanitarian aid. the u.s. is increasingly choosing to stay out of what it sees as european affairs. >> the americans say understandably the for the past half century, we have guaranteed your security and ensure that your content can live in peace. it is time for you to share responsibility for security on your doorstep or even to take on the responsibility alone. >> maintaining security in the gulf is still a priority for the u.s. something that europe and asia directly benefit from, but as the u.s. reduce its dependence on oil from the region, it may

fall to europe to take its place there, too. >> we will be back in a minute with fracking coming to germany. >> and why old and young people cannot seem to understand each other these days. what is new? we'll be back in a minute.

>> welcome back. the battle for control of syria's largest city continued on tuesday. activists say syrian rebels clashed with regime forces near a mosque and west of the city that has become a key military installation. >> aleppo is seen as a major prize in a civil war that is tearing the country apart. for those who have not fled, just the basics in daily life are a major challenge. >> basic goods such as meat, fuel, cigarettes, and would are being sold out in the open on the streets of aleppo. the covered markets have become too dangerous because they are the targets of frequent attacks.

the front runs straight through the city. snipers shoot almost daily from the government-controlled side. demonstrators still gather at designated meeting points every friday to demand the removal of president assad. this week, they are also criticizing the opposition free syrian army, saying the fighters need to step up their battle to free the entire country. the protesters could not always speak their minds so freely. regime troops regularly launched counter offensives against the rebels, firing bombs and shells. only 600 people live here. before the war, it was 400,000. he tries to prevent the spread of disease by clearing the streets with the help of some friends.

then the free syrian army dominates this area, but our task as peaceful activists goes on, even if the regime falls. we want to show everyone the we are doing the right thing for our country, so we knuckle down and do not expect anyone to do our work for us. >> unesco declared aleppo's old city a world heritage site in 1986. today, it is a war zone just meters from separating opposition and regime troops. sometimes, snipers crouched in the building opposite. the rebels have organized themselves into small squadrons. they want to hold out, whatever the personal cost. >> we were three brothers. one of us was killed. the other was wounded in the leg. we are ready to sacrifice everything.

if i am shocked, then my 7-year- old son will continue the fight. >> the rebels in aleppo say they have little in the way of firepower to battle the assad regime. they are mostly limited to guns and homemade weapons like these catapult's for bombs. every day, the war claims more victims, and almost every family has had to mourn at least one relative, but that is not enough for either side to end the war. >> to egypt now where a favorite tourist activity has ended in disaster. at least 19 people have been killed when a hot air balloon crashed. most of the dead were tourists from europe and asia. >> the pilot and a tourist are reported to have survived after jumping from the basket before it hit the ground. egypt has sent its condolences to the families and suspended all balloon flights. >> the tourists were taking a trip to see the sunrise when the

accident occurred. eyewitnesses say they heard a loud explosion. >> the man flying the hot air balloon tried to land it when he was about 30 meters from the ground. some people were trying to grab the rope. >> what seems to have happened next is that the rope became entangled in a tube leading to a gas cylinder. the two was severed, which caused an explosion. a fire broke out and the balloons shot up in the air before it came crashing down. >> we have received three injured people. one of them is a briton who just died following surgery. he had severe bleeding in his stomach. another is scottish, who is injured and in stable condition. the third is the pilot of the balloon, an egyptian national who suffered burns over 60% of his body. >> accidents have occurred at

this site before, mostly because of human or technical error. the balloon flights are popular with tourists because of the view that offer, but after this crash, future customers may think twice. >> in columbia, thousands of coffee growers have been protesting the low prices for the crops they produce. >> they want the government to cushion the blow of dropping prices. >> this convoy of coffee farmers protesting, one of many across the country. authorities used tear gas, and there are reports of a number of injuries after protesters clashed with riot police. >> the main reason protestors are gathered here is because the government has abandoned us.

today, colombian coffee growers are selling their crop at a loss in a business that just cannot function like this. >> the government has set a minimum price. about 190 euros for 125 kilos of coffee, but the farmers say that does not even cover production costs. they are demanding the government increase production subsidies. the president is not budging. >> are around 560,000 families depend on the coffee industry, so i say this strike is unnecessary and inconvenient. >> it is also the first of its kind. never before in the 90-year history of coffee cultivation in colombia have farmers gone on strike. >> the country's president says left-wing guerrillas have promised to release two german hostages. he is sending a committee of red cross officials and civilians to liaise with the national liberation army.

>> the president is urging the rebels to stick to their pledge and release the men. guerrillas captured the near colombia's border with venezuela late last year. they accused the men of spying. germany insisted the hostages were pensioners on holiday. and energy independence is a big strategic ally in the u.s. right now, and for the first time in decades, it could be within reach, that is thanks to hydraulic fracturing. >> this is a controversial method for extracting oil and gas by injecting water, sand, and chemicals deep into the earth. critics say it can contaminate the water supply and even cause earthquakes. >> those kinds of concerns have led many european countries including germany to hold back, but now, angela merkel government is drawing up laws to allow it, under strict environmental controls. >> frackin g is already being tested in the german state of lower saxony.

for the first time, ministers have agreed on a draft law to regulate the procedure nationwide. >> there are questions in areas where environmental protection and safeguarding the natural environment must take precedence over economic interests. on that basis, this draft law is an important signal that we are serious about protecting the environment. >> fracking injects a mixture of sand, water, and chemicals into the ground at high pressure. this fractures the rock and releases hard to reach natural gas and oil. >> we oppose fracking in germany using chemicals that endanger the environment and our water. we have a complex underground structure with layers carrying ground water. the technology is unacceptable as long as it involves these chemicals. it carries risks, and we do not know the consequences for our

water supply. germany should not become a testing ground for gas companies like the united states. >> citizens' groups have already mobilized. the opposition say they will block the government's legislation in the second chamber of parliament. >> all right, ever heard of a tech term or slang that you just did not get? turns out you might not be alone. >> definitely not. a new study in germany shows that young and old and beginning to live in parallel universes, as if they are simply speaking two different languages. >> it can often be a world of confusion, but it seems that at least sometimes family comes to the rescue. >> facebook, twitter, online forums -- the internet is second nature to young people, but adults find it hard to keep up. what was hit yesterday is out today. nearly 2/3 of adults survey say they struggle with the pace of change. around half do not understand

use idioms and modern slang -- youth idioms and modern slang. 47% say they cannot relate to how young people feel with one exception. >> within families, things seem to work better and young people feel comfortable, but outside the family, there is a generation gap. older people say -- what are they talking about? young people assume adults cannot understand them. the family is not only a microcosm of society but also a bridge between the generations. >> another difference within families -- parents are happy to be taught by their children. almost two out of three say their children answer the questions about computers and the internet. >> both sides can benefit. there is give and take. it is not just a one-way street anymore where parents explain the world to their children. >> so listen and learn is the key. that applies to both generations.

>> the severe winter storm has brought blizzard conditions to parts of the southern united states. >> more than 40 centimeters of snow fell within just a few hours in some areas of texas. the conditions have caused havoc on the roads. some drivers had their vehicles rescued. the area is still recovering from a massive winter storm last week. severe weather warnings are in effect for parts of oklahoma and kansas. >> it is not fun, but it sure looks pretty. >> you are watching the "journal" on dw. thank you for joining us. we will see you next time.